New measures have weekly cost of some €120 million

The Finance Ministry is now weighing the cost of the new restrictions on retail commerce, with provisional estimates pointing to an extra burden on the budget that will reach up to 500 million euros per month, or some €120 million a week.

The problem is that this is in excess of the cost included in the budget, meaning that pressure is growing on the ministry to act with caution regarding the support measures from now on. In this context, ministry sources said there is little chance of making the most of the expanded limits the European Commission has allowed for the support of enterprises, through the revision of the temporary framework of state subsidies.

Finance Minister Christos Staikouras told Real FM radio on Friday that some small and medium-sized enterprises will still get to benefit from the increase in the limit Brussels had set. Loans from the first three...